Wire twisting or splicing machine.



Ri REED & A, D. FVESHILLING.

WIRE TWISTING' 0R SPLICING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APRB, 1912.

Patented Sep; 17, MM2.

SHEETS-SHEET l.

R, REM) @a l?, FV SPULUG. Wma TwmTING 0R S'L'Lw'mc muslim;

APPLIGTON FILED APR. 1Q, 1w, 1" eed. Seat $7,191?? imma-9.

R. REED L A. D. FIVESHXLLING. Wim; TWIsTiNG 0R SPLIOING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR.15,19l2.

Paented 5012. 17E 1912.

3 SHETS-SHUET 3.

Wagga 'tinrrisn retenir Aordnen BOY .REED AND ALBERT D. EIVESHILIING, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

WIRE TWl'SkMu'G OR SPLICING MACHINE. 1 l

Spccicetion of Letters Patent.

Patented SeptdL 7, i912.

lpplicaton filed dpr" l5, 1912,.v Serial No. 890,854.

'i' 'o all whom 'Z5' may] concern.'

Be :known that we, ller linnn aintn linearer lll. lFlivnsnniLiNcw hoth citizens of United States, und. residents oi' limitado,

in the county oi Erie end State of New? "York, have invented new and uset'ul lnr provenients in l/Vire rlwisting or Splicing Machines, of which the following is a speciti cation. p

@nr invention relntes'to wire twisting or splicing machines such as are used for 'splicing together two lengths et wire or for twisting together the ends of a single piece ot wire.

The priinzny object of oni' invention is the production. oit e simple, inexpensive, and durable machine for 4the purpose mentioned in which provisionlis. inode to properly hold the ends of the wire together preparatory to and while twisting or uniting theni.

llinother object of our invention is to provide simple and -ell'eetive means for regulating the length oli' the twist; and rto other wise improve on machines of this class.

lllith 'these objects in View, the invention consists in the novel features ot construction in the arrangement end combination of pints to he hereinafter described and psrticnlarly pointed ont in the suhjoined claims.

ln the d ralvings,-Figure l is aplsn View oit a. wire--twistingl or'splicing machine constructed according' to our invention. lllig'. 2isy s, transverse section teken on line who?, Fig. l.. Fig, 3 is a longitudinal section taken on line ym?, Fig. 1. Fig. t is s transverse section taken on line 2*@ Fig. 1. llig. 5 is 1a detached perspective view of one of the i rotatable wire holding spindles.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the `reference numerals referred to indicate similar peri-s in the se *eral figures.

lhe reference numeral 6 indicates a. hase on which the several supports or brackets siqvporting the operating mechanism are r l secured. lhls hase may loe or ,any suitable construction, and if desired, the severed' supports or brackets, to he hereinafter re- Wise.- termed integrally4 therewith.

ln the .embodiment illustrated, e oreclret 7 is secured to thelasse (i et one side, in

vrferred to, inav he east, stamped, or otherwhichV issecnred aspindle 8 having rotatahly nionnted thereon e bevel geenwheel 9' provided with en operating hendle 10 errsngged near toe periphery et seid geen ports.

wheel, said geonwheol, whichiney he termed the actuating gear-wheel heine; held on seid spindle hy means of n not 11 threaded thereon. lit each end ot' the hase is secured e. pair of standards or Vsupports l2, 13, spaced spart as shown in Fig. 3, said standards or supports being provided with circu la-r openings 1l at their upper ends and slots v15 extending from seid openlngs outward to the n per edge of said standards or sup he circular openings serre as heerings for hubs 1G extending from opposite sides oi bevel zgear-wheels 17, which are in inesh with the actuating gear-wheel 9. at diainetrically lopposite points thereof. The

.said hubs are enlarged to provide shoulders 18which hear against the inner or opposing sides 'of the two brackets of each pair in which they7 ere journaled so as to prevent lei'igthwise movement of the gear-wheels 17 in seid standards or supports. A bevel geen wheel 17 is therefore ournaled in each peil' of standards or supports and held against lengthwise movement each bevel gear-wheel 17 havingn di'alnetrical slot 19, which slots are of course extended halfway through the hubs of said gear-wheels. rlhe bevelsgear wheels 17, by which term we include the huhs thereof, have non-circularaXial bores, preferably square, in which are fitted so as to rotate therewith, wire-holding spindles 20. These spindles have cylindrical inner ends, for a purpose to he 'hereinafter de`- scribed, and they are provided with longitudinal slots 2l which extend from Dend to' end thereof and diametrically troni their" surfaces to points beyond the axis of the spindles. lhen .these spindles are litted into the bevel 'gear-wheels 17, the slots 21' thneol` register with the slots in said bevel gear-wheels ond at a certain point in the revolntionof each of said bevel gear-wheels with its spindle, the slots in both register with the slots 15 in the standards or sup ports 12, 13, thus permitting the introduction of opposite ends of a length of Wire, or the adjacent ends of two lengths of Wire, depending on the purpose the twist. or splice is to serve.

ln order to successfully twist the Wire or wires. means most he providedV lef-retain .the sinne in proper position within the slots of the wireholding spindles 20, end for this purpose e pair of brackets or supports 22 rise from the hase and are secured thereto. These hoi-schets are arranged transversely' l. l U

and have secured thereto pair oic longitudinally disposed guide-rods 23. Secured mid-length to said guide-rods is a bracket. 24 having' a depressed central portion 25 from which rises a hifureated supporting arm 26 and at that end of the bracket nearer the actuatinggear--Wheel 9 a hiiiureated guide arm 27 rises there-trom. `Secured to the bitureated supporting arm and dis! posed parallel with the guide-rods Q3 is a guide-rod 28 which extends through saidsnpporting arm and in opposite directions therefrom and serves: also as a pivot for an actuating lever 9,9 which is provided with an inwaid extension 30 and lofeated in the hiurcated portion oi. said arm. Adjustable on the longitudinal rods 23 is .a pair of retainer bars 3l arranged transversely and on opposite sides of the bracket 2l, each retainer par having loops 32 on its `underside through which said longitudinal rods are passed and also an upstanding ear through ivhieh the guide rod 28 is passed, each ear having a thumb-screw 34 threaded thereinto and adapted` to impinge against said .guided'ed lt niay therefore loe said that the retainer are adjustable on loot-h the guide rods 23 and E28 and may he held in any adjusted position hy said thuniosereivs.

Said retainer bars extend beyond the Wire holding' spindles 2O and have upstanding lul:J provided with semi-circular notches into 'which the cylindrical inner ends of the Wire-holding' spindles are'seated, said lugs, however, leavingl .tree access to the slots 2l Within said spindles. ltlovahle lengthwise on said retainer hars are slidalole retainer-blocks 3T, each having' a semi-circular notch 38 arranged in opposition to the notch 36 in its eoperatinn' lug and havin; also,i a dat extension 39 through which is passed Ia' bolt 4Q which extends through a s101341 in the retainer har and has threaded ,thereon a nut 42 which hears against the underside of said retainer har. ln this manner the slidahle retainer blocks are eonlined to movement in a straight line toward and from their cooperating lugs and with said lugs may he said to provide a pair oi clamping or retainer inemhers adapted to embrace the inner cylindrical ends'of the wire-holding spindles 2O and serve to retain the wires in the slots 21 of said spindles.

The slidalole retainer lolocks 37 are aetuai'ed by means of the actuating' lever 29, and `for this purpose tno tivo retainer hloelrs are connected hy a eross har Ll-l, which has pivotal connection with one end of a link 4st Whosf'mfnrr end is pivotally connected to the inward extension 30 ot said lever. The oonneetion ot said retainer blocks may he said to he at loose connection in that the cross liar lf3 passes .loosely through o hloelts, thus allowing' 'the latter to i saio. eross-harlno'valole to govern the length` of the assenso The wire-holding spindles Q0 are adjusty able lengthwise Within the hevel gearwheels l? so as to regulate the distance or space between' their inner ends, 'which distance or space governs the length ot'` the splieeor twist to be made; and for pose of retaining the spindles 1n any adjustied position, thumb-screws e5' are threaded into the hubs oi said bevel gearfwheels and unpinge against the square portionsoi" said spindles.

,From the foregoing it will 'bev elear that the Wire-holding spindles are relatively or twist to he made and in positioninv the wires Within the machine, the gear-Wheels 17 are rotated to lering the slots 19'ltherein the purl splice in line With the-slots 15 of the two npairo'f standards or supports l2, ,13 and as the slots 2l in the wire-holding spindles() are always in line With those in saidgear.- Awheels, the Wires can be easily entered into the slots of said 'Wirdholding spindleswith the end portions thereof arranged in oppo# site directions, the 'extremity of each end terminating in `one of the spindles and being held therein against turning., for which purpose the slot-s in the spindles are made of a somewhat Wider than the diameter of the Wire to be, twisted, lout of course, narrow enough to prevent the tivo Wires` turning therein. lt will also he noticed that there is no support provided for the Wires between the adjacentends of the ivire-holding spindles so that a continuous or unbroken twist results i'rom the operation of the machine, and owing' to the bevel-gear Wheels 17 meshing with the actuating, gear-Wheel 9 at diametric'illy opposite points, said gearwvheelsl'? with their Contained Wire-holding spindles are rotated in opposite directions, thus twisting the Wire from tivo point-s or sides, which assures increased output.

When the operator adjusts the Wire-holdingr spindles with the bevel gear-Wheels 17, he adjusts the retainer bars 3l accordingly, so that the clamping; or retaining members of said hars will embrace the Cylindrical. inner portions ot said wire holding spindles at or near their inner extremities. To accomplish this, it is only necessary to loosen the thumb-screws 34 and shift said retainer bars toward or from each other according to the adjustment ot' said Wire-holding spindles, during which action the slidable retainer blocks 237 lslide on the cross oar 43. g

` l he presentinvention is in no lwise restrieted to size, material, or exact details of construction, nor to any other limitations of description, Yunless expressly so stated in the following' claims. Thus it isjpossilole to secure some ofthe advan n s our invention within the scope of this patent by elimination of some ot' the partsy or modificaor" the parts, andit .is our in- :maat/aa l tention to have the'claiins olf this patent given' the broadest possible interpretation pi-mnissible by the prior art.

l'laving thas described our invention,

what we claim is,-

l. ln a machine of the kind described, two axially coinciding longitudinally slotted spindles, means forrotating said spindles in opposite directions, and Wire retaining -nieans co-acting with each of said spindles,

each of said Wire-retaining means comprising a portion notched to embrace one-half ot its coperating spindle and a co-acting portion notched to embrace the other halt' and being movable toward and from its'cooperating spindle.

2. A machine of the kind described, comprising a pair et oppositely. rotating'spindles provided with longitudinal wireereceiv- 3. ln a machine ofthekind described, thecombination With a base having' pair ot spaced supports, a pair of guide-rods extending from one pair of said supports to the other, a pair of retainer hars arranged at right angles to said guide-rods and movablerelatively on said guide-rods, a pair ot' axially coinciding wireholding' spindles provided withlongitudinal slots and being nlovahle relatively, and means on said retainer bars-embracing the adjacent ends of said spindlesN to .retain the wire or wires heing twisted in the slots thereof, sai l einbrae ing incluis including' a part movable to permit the insertion of the wires into the slots and the removal. of the saine therefrom.

l. ln aY machine of the kind described, the combination with a, oase havingr supports rising therefrom, aXially-alined spindles rotatahle in said supports and relatively n1ovable, said spindles having longitudinal slots therein, means for rotating said spindles in opposite directions, .a pair, ol' supported guide-rods spaced apart'and arranged parallel with said spindles, a pair of retainer bars spaced apart and'niovable relatively on said guide-rods, each retainer bar coperating Wit-h one ot said spindles and havingan upstanding lug extending A,substantially around one-half of its coperating spindle,

.rm die a slidablel block embracing the other halt ol said spindles to prevent accidental ren moval of the Wire or wires from `the slots' in said spindles, and means 'for simultane ously moving said slidalole blocks to permit insertion of the wires into the slots of said spindles or the removal therefrom.

5. In a machine of the kind described, the combination ot' a pair of axially alined spindles having longitudinal .slots therein, means for rotating said spindles in opposite directions, a pair of guide-rods arranged parallel With said spindles, a bracket secured to said guide-rods and having an npstanding guidenrm and an upstanding bifurcated supporting arm, a pair of retainer hars an ranged on said guide-rods and movable relatively, said retainer bars having means at one of their ends to embrace the adjacent ends of said spindles and prevent theaccidental removal therefrom of the Wires inserted in the slots of said spindles, an open. ating lever iitting into said bifurcated supporting arm and having a portion extending inward therefrom, a single guide-rod passingthrough said bifurcated supporting arm and extending in opposite directions there from parallel with said first-mentioned guide-rods, said single guide-rods'erving as a pivot t'or said operating leverffandvsaid retainer bars having upstanding lugs through which said single gniderod looselyv passes, thumb-screws threaded into saidlugs and adapted to iinpinge against said. single guiderod, and a link connecting the inner extendingportion of said operating lever with said wire retainer means.

G. ln a machine of the kind described, a pair of axially alined spindles having longitudinal slots therein and being relatively movable, a pair of retainer bars having' portions extending around one-half ot' each ot' said spindles and each having a slot a1'- rangcd lengthwise therein. a retainer block on each et said retainer barsy adapted to ex tend around the other halt' oi its coperating spindle, a bolt passing through cach re2 lainer block and extendingl through the slot in its supporting retainer har`v nuts threaded onto said bolts, a cross rod passing through said, retainer blocks, and means l'or moving said cross-rod toward and troni a plane in which said spindles are held.

ln testimony whereof, we have allixed our signatures iu theA presence ot' two subscribing witnesses.

ROY REED. ALBERT D. FIVESHILLING.

Witnesses:

ll. lV. PALMER, Gao. V. Winnie.

las 

